"Woody! Woody!" The shouting echoed across the fields and into the dairy, where Buzz was standing, patiently swinging the handle on the butter churn around and around. His muscles rippled as he worked, but the voice caught his attention. He never heard Bo shout unless she was tired or angry, neither of which were a common occurrence. As Buzz was thinking this, Bo flung herself into the doorway and stopped short, seeing only the farmhand there.
"Buzz! Have you seen Woody?"
Buzz flung the handle over once more and shook his head, breathing hard from the exertion.
"Oh, I have to find him!" Bo gasped. "There's been a telegram from town."
"A telegram?" Buzz found his breath again long enough to utter the four syllables.
Bo nodded. "It's from Mr Baron."
"The county committee member? What on earth does he want?" Buzz wondered aloud. They hadn't heard from their most recent visitor to the farm for over a week now.
Bo shook her head. "That's why I have to find Woody! He has to be the first to know!"
Jessie leaned on the paddock gate, idly swinging to and fro as Bullseye cantered around nearby. She had been giving serious thought to the entire incident with Mr Baron the week before for many of her waking hours, trying to work it all out in her mind.
The real issue with the thought, overall, was money. Even though she had been gracious enough to let Buzz's and her own wages slide for a time, the plan she had in mind would require some of the cold hard stuff to make it work.
There was also the problem that, just when she thought she had it all pinned down and in place, something would happen to distract her and she'd have to go back over all of it.
Like Bo rushing past her like a blonde version of a Tasmanian devil. Jessie's brow furrowed in confusion. She never saw Bo run anywhere unless she was excited or wound up about something, and that wasn't a common occurrence.
"Never a dull moment around here," she muttered to Bullseye, who snorted in agreement.
"They want how many?" Woody scanned the document his wife had handed to him. Bo had finally discovered her husband in the shearing shed next to the barn, where he had begun the summer preparations for the sheep.
"Enough to see if demand is there. And who knows after that?" Bo's face lit up as she watched her husband take in the news.
"Bo…this is….this is incredible!" Woody turned to her, throwing the telegram onto the floor and sweeping his wife up into his arms. "At that outlay he's willing to make, we're in the clear!"
"We're saved," Bo cried out, "Oh, God bless Mr Baron!" She leaned into Woody to press a kiss onto his lips, which the young man received all too eagerly.
"Why do you think he wants to see us?" Buzz asked Jessie. He had caught up with his girlfriend after a long day taking care of the dairy room, churning the butter alongside prepping the milk and cream. It might only have been March, but the night air outside was chilly and they both shivered a little as they walked in the direction of the farmhouse.
Jessie shrugged. "It's not like we've done anything wrong."
"Not that we care to admit," Buzz chuckled, and Jessie smacked him lightly on the arm.
"You!" She exclaimed, and Buzz gave her a sideways look which she returned fondly as he wrapped an arm around her middle. They scaled the farmhouse steps side by side and entered the warmth of the farmhouse. They both inhaled deeply, the scent of the roaring fireplace mixing with other smells coming from the kitchen, relishing it all.
"Is that you, Jessie? Buzz?" Woody called, appearing in the kitchen doorway. He smiled on seeing them both, and waved them through.
With a confused look cast at each other, Jessie and Buzz discarded their outer clothes onto the pegs by the door and wandered through. They were in for the first shock – as in front of them on the kitchen table lay a sumptuous spread of food, one they hadn't seen the likes of for many months. Bo stood just behind the table, leaning against the counter, enjoying the surprised looks on both their faces.
"What's this for?" Buzz gasped, astonished at the feast set out before them.
"Well, we have some good news. We paid all the bills, Jess." Woody started to come towards them from where he was leaning on the back of one of the dining chairs. "Additionally, we had a telegram from Mr Baron. He's agreed to buy one hundred bottles of our Cattlesum, at double the price. He's managed to get an agreement for us with the local town shops to stock it, and if demand is high enough….well you can guess the rest."
"Woody!" Jessie breathed at Buzz's side. "This is…." Words failed her and she clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Don't say anything, Jessie. Here." Woody held out an envelope to the stable girl. "Take it."
Casting big eyes up to their employer, and then looking around at Buzz, Jessie reached for the envelope, which Buzz noticed was soft as she touched it. As his girlfriend began to lift the white flap, Woody carried on.
"I want you to split what's in that envelope. There's enough for you to cover the last eight months in wages each."
"What?" A shriek of surprise escaped Jessie, and she suddenly ripped the envelope open, notes spilling onto the floor. They both stared at the kitchen floor, now papered over with note upon note of real money.
Jessie raised her head to look at Buzz. It was now or never.
"I've got an idea," was all she said.